The Lord God has given your
excellency to us to be at the present time a source of very great
comfort, and has afforded us a meet haven for the storm. We have
therefore confidence in informing your lordship of our distress. Not
long ago we acquainted your excellency that the right honourable Count
Rufus had shewn us an order written in the imperial handwriting
commanding the gallant general to provide with prudence and diligence
for our residence at Cyrus, and not to suffer us to depart to another
city, on the ground that we are endeavouring to summon synods to
Antioch, and are disturbing the orthodox.17521752 This edict of Theodosius is dated by Tillemont March 30, 449.
Theodoret received the order for his relegation to Cyrus while he was
at Antioch, and at once submitted.
Now I make known to you that in obedience to the imperial letter I have
come to Cyrus. After an interval of six or seven days they sent the
devoted Euphronius, the commander, with a letter begging me to
acknowledge in writing that the imperial order had been shown me. I
therefore promised to remain in Cyrus and its adjacent district, and to
tend the sheep entrusted to my care. I therefore beseech your
excellency to make exact enquiry, both whether these orders had really
been issued, and for what reason. I am indeed conscious of many other
sins, but I do not know that I have erred either against the Church of
God, or against public order. And I write as I do, not because I take
it ill to have to live at Cyrus, for in truth she is dearer to me than
any of the most famous cities, because my office in her has been given
me by God. But the fact of my being bound to her not by preference but
by compulsion does seem somewhat grievous, and besides it does give a
handle to the wicked to grow bold and to refuse to obey our
exhortations.

Under these circumstances I
beseech your lordship, if no order of the kind has really been issued,
to let me know; but if the letter really comes from the victorious
emperor, tell his pious majesty not readily to believe calumnies, nor
give ear to accusers alone, but to demand an account from the accused.
Though really the evidence of the facts alone was quite enough to
persuade his piety that the charges against me were false. For when did
I ever make myself offensive about anything to his serene majesty or
his chief officers? Or when was I ever obnoxious to the many and
illustrious owners here? It is on the contrary well known to your
excellency that I have spent a considerable portion of my
ecclesiastical revenues in erecting porticoes and baths, building
bridges, and making further provision for public objects. But if any
persons take it ill that I mourn over the ruin of the churches of
Phœnicia, be it known to your lordship that it is impossible for
me not to grieve when I see the horn of the Jews exalted on high and
the Christians in tears and sorrow, though they send them to the very
ends of the earth.17531753 The allusion appears to be to the edict of Feb. 448, ordering the
deposition of Theodoret’s friend Irenæus bishop of Tyre, on
the ground of his being a digamus and a heretic. Irenæus was
degraded from the priesthood and forbidden to appear in Tyre. cf. Epp.
III. XII. XVI. XXXV. We cannot fight
against the apostolic decrees, for we remember the word of the Apostle
which says, “We ought to obey God rather than men,”17541754Acts v. 29 and more terrible to us than any of the
pains of this life is the “judgment seat of Christ”17551755Romans xiv.
10 the Lord, before whom we shall all stand
to render an account of our words and of our deeds. On account of that
judgment seat the hardships of this present life must be endured. For
them that suffer wrong the hope of what is to come is consolation
enough, but to us the loving Lord has given further comfort in you,
most excellent sir, whose life is bright with piety and
faith.

1752 This edict of Theodosius is dated by Tillemont March 30, 449.
Theodoret received the order for his relegation to Cyrus while he was
at Antioch, and at once submitted.

1753 The allusion appears to be to the edict of Feb. 448, ordering the
deposition of Theodoret’s friend Irenæus bishop of Tyre, on
the ground of his being a digamus and a heretic. Irenæus was
degraded from the priesthood and forbidden to appear in Tyre. cf. Epp.
III. XII. XVI. XXXV.